Scaevola plant named ‘Bonscawi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named ‘Bonscawi’, characterized by its compact, mounded and semi-trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical Designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar Denomination: ‘Bonscawi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofScaevola, botanically known as Scaevola aemula, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Bonscawi’.

The new Scaevola is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely-flowering Scaevolacultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Scaevola originated from an open-pollination in Yellow Rock, NewSouth Wales, Australia in March/April, 2003 of a proprietary selectionof Scaevola aemula identified as code number 00-38.17, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection ofScaevola aemula, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Bonscawiwas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant withinthe progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environmentin Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola by vegetative cuttings in acontrolled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia sinceDecember, 2004 , has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevolaare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Bonscawi has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonscawi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonscawi’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofScaevola:

-   -   1. Compact, mounded and semi-trailing plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. White-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can ce compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola are more compact and denser than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola flower earlier than plants of the        female parent selection.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevolaaemula cultivar Snow Pearl, not patended. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the newScaevola differed from plants of the cultivar Snow Pearl in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola were shorter than plants of the        cultivar Snow Pearl.    -   2. Stems of plants of the new Scaevola were pubescent whereas        stems of plants of the cultivar Snow Pearl were glabrous.    -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola had shorter leaves than plants of        the cultivar Snow Pearl.    -   4. Plants of the new Scaevola had smaller flowers than plants of        the cultivar Snow Pearl.    -   5. Plants of the new Scaevola were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Snow Pearl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Scaevola, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately described the colors ofthe new Scaevola.

The photographs at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonscawi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers and leaves of ‘Bonscawi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan incontainers in an outdoor nursery during the summer and under conditionswhich closely approximate commercial production. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperaturesaveraged 13° C. Plants were about five months old when the photographsand the description were taken. In the description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula cultivar Bonscawi.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent:—Proprietary selection of Scaevola            aemula identified as code number 00-38.17, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent:—Unknown poprietary selection of            Scaevola aemula, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type:—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots:—About ten days at 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to develop roots:—About four weeks at 20° C to 25° C.        -   Root description:—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit:—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit:—Compact, mounded and            semi-trailing plant habit. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit:—Freely branching, lateral branches            potentially forming at every node.        -   Plant height:—About 14.3 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread):—About 43.9 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length:—About 22.4 cm.        -   Diameter:—About 2.6 mm.        -   Internode length:—About 1.5 cm.        -   Texture:—Pubescent.        -   Color:—Close to 144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement:—Alternate, simple, sessile.        -   Length:—About 3.3 cm.        -   Width:—About 1.7 cm.        -   Shape:—Obovate.        -   Apex:—Obtuse.        -   Base:—Obtuse.        -   Margin:—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces:—Pubescent; slightly            coarse.        -   Venation pattern:—Pinnate, reticulate.        -   Color:—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 173A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 137C. venation,            145A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 138B;            venation, 145A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and shape:—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,            fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to            form a tubular flower throat. Flower throat open along the            upper surface exposing reproductive organs. Flowers not            fragrant.        -   Flower arrangement and quantity:—Solitary sessile flowers            arise from leaf axils. Flowers face mostly outwarldy. Freely            flowering habit, typically about twelve flowers per lateral            branch.        -   Flowering time:—Plants begin flowering after about four            weeks and flower continuously from spring to late autumn in            Australia. Flowers typically last about a week on the plant.            Flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds:—Shape: Elongated ovate. Length: About 1.5 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: Close to 143A.        -   Flowers:—Diameter: About 1.3 cm by 2.5 cm. Depth: About            1.6 cm. Tube length: About 1 cm. Tuber diameter: About 4 mm.        -   Petals:—Quantity: Five, fused at base. Shape: Narrowly            elliptic. Apex. Cuspidate. Margin: Entire. Length, above            tube: About 1.1 cm. Width, above tube: About 4.4 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155A;            towards the base, 145A. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 155A; longitudinal central stripe, 150D.            Throat: Close to 150B. Tube: Close to 150B.        -   Sepals:—Quantity: Two per flower. Length: About 6 mm. Width:            About 2.8 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 137C.        -   Reproductive organs:—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About five. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About            1.9 mm by 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 174B. Pollen: Scarce.            Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 1.3 cm. Style color: Close to 157B. Stigma shape:            Oblong. Stigma color: Close to 155C. Ovary color: Close to            144A.        -   Seeds/fruits:—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 5°C about 35°C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pest common to Scaevola.

1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named ‘Bonscawi’ as illustrated anddescribed.